BC

10-year forest inventory plan released

A 10-year forest inventory plan was released by the B.C. government Saturday, with an average annual investment of $8 million over the life of the plan.

Over the next decade, the annual funding increase to $8 million will ensure 35 million hectares are inventoried in mountain pine beetle affected and other priority areas. The plan outlines nine goals, each with five- and 10-year targets, ensuring no forest cover data is older than 30 years, while integrating 100 per cent of harvest, reforestation and fire information updates into the inventory.

"Developing a robust forest inventory plan was a top priority for my ministry, as it is so central to our Mid-Term Timber Supply Action Plan. The forest inventory program has the financial certainty it needs to fulfil its mission throughout the next 10 years," said Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson

Key strategies include focusing resources where need is the greatest, collaborating with stakeholders, public reporting of program performance, and using a mix of new cost-effective technologies such as satellite imagery, high resolution digital aerial photography, and software applications for managing large data sets.

A forest inventory plan is part of B.C.'s commitment to address mid- term timber supply. Information produced by the forest inventory program is used in many ways, such as forest condition forecasts, timber-supply analysis, silviculture, timber-harvest planning, habitat mapping, wildfire risk assessment, and biodiversity assessments.